Closing, separating or covering device

ABSTRACT

Closing, separating or covering device comprising a blind (1) capable of being wound about a winding axis with flexible lateral edges (2) held in position in guide tracks (3) during winding and unwinding, wherein the latter (3) are elastically mounted on a support or rotatably mounted about an axis substantially parallel to their longitudinal axis such that the said lateral edges (2) can be held in position in the guide tracks during the displacement by rotation and/or translation of the latter in relation to the support (4).

This invention concerns a device for closing a bay, separating off aroom or covering a swimming pool, silo etc., comprising a blind whichcan be wound around a winding axis with flexible lateral edges held inposition in guide tracks during winding and unwinding of said blind.

Especially for blinds with a relatively large area, when such blinds areunwound to cover a bay, for example, the pressure acting essentiallyperpendicular to one of its surfaces can be relatively large, inparticular for blinds exposed to the wind.

As a consequence, in the known closing devices of this type, the guidetracks in which the edges of the blind move and are held, can besubjected to very uneven forces from one side of the blind, as opposedto the other side of said blind. It may even happen that all the forcesexerted by the above-mentioned edges may be concentrated on a singleside of the blind, thus creating torsion on certain parts of said guidetracks, resulting in irregular wear both of the guide tracks and of theedges of the blind, and moreover a greater risk of said edges suddenlycoming free of the guide tracks and damaging them as a result.

Another not inconsiderable disadvantage of closing devices of certaindimensions is fitting the blind, which generally requires laboriouspreparation by specialized workers to ensure that the edges of the blindslide with controlled friction in the guide tracks, that winding andunwinding are uniform, and that the blind is perfectly plane in itsunwound position. The main aim of the invention is to overcome theabove-mentioned disadvantages, in an extremely simple but very effectiveway.

To this end, according to the invention, the above-mentioned guidetracks are mounted on a support in an elastic manner and/or pivotingabout an axis essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of saidguide tracks, such that said lateral edges can be held in the guidetracks during displacement of said guide tracks in relation to thesupport.

Advantageously, the guide tracks are mounted by elastic means on thesupport, such that they can undergo a displacement in the direction ofthe blind when a force is exerted on the latter.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, the guide tracks aremounted on rods extending essentially vertically to the longitudinalaxis of said guide tracks and mounted with a certain amount of play inholes in the surface of the support, the elastic means comprising ahelical spring slid over the above-mentioned rod, on the side of thissurface opposite the guide tracks, pushing against said surface.

Other details and features of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description, given by way of example only, without beinglimitative, of several embodiments of the invention, with reference tothe attached drawings, where:

FIG. 1 is an elevation, with partial break lines, of a first embodimentof the invention.

FIG. 2 is a section along line II--II in FIG. 1, to a greater scale.

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a horizontal section of thisembodiment, showing the position of the device under the action of ahorizontal force acting on the blind.

FIG. 4 is a cross section, analogous to that in FIG. 2, of a secondembodiment of the device according to the invention.

FIG. 5 is also a cross section, analogous to that in FIG. 2, of a thirdembodiment of the device according to the invention.

In the different figures, the same reference numbers refer to the sameor analogous elements.

The embodiment of the closing device according to the invention, asshown in FIGS. 1 to 3, comprises a blind 1 which can be wound around awinding axis (not shown), e.g. for closing off a bay, such as a garage,workshop or hangar entrance, or as a room partition, or as a cover forswimming pool, silo etc.

This blind 1 has lateral flexible edges 2 which project from the planeof the blind and are held sliding in the guide tracks 3, said guidetracks being located laterally on either side of e.g. the bay to beclosed off.

The device is essentially characterized in that the guide tracks 3 aremounted on a support 4 which delimits the bay laterally, in an elasticmanner and/or pivoting about an axis essentially parallel to thelongitudinal axis of said guide tracks, such that the lateral edges 2 ofthe blind can continue to be held in said guide tracks duringdisplacement of the latter in relation to the support 4.

In fact, all the parts of the guide track which hold the edge of theblind are mounted elastically and/or in a pivoting manner on the support4. However, means may be provided to free said lateral edges 2 fromtheir guide tracks if the traction force exerted on said guide tracks bythe blind exceeds a certain value. For example, the guide tracks mayhave a certain elasticity, so that they can open when a certain tractionis exerted on the blind. Another possibility is for certain parts of theguide tracks to be mounted so that they rotate with respect to otherparts of said guide tracks, so that they can open and thus free thelateral edges of the blind when the latter is subjected to a certainforce. Such a possibility is described and represented in Europeanpatent application 0405093. In general terms, the invention concernsguide tracks mounted by their base, elastically and/or so that they canrotate, on a fixed support 4; it does not concern the parts of saidguide track intended for the actual holding and guiding.

More particularly, in this specific embodiment of the closing deviceaccording to the invention, the guide tracks 3 are mounted throughhelical springs 5 on the support 4, such that they can undergo adisplacement in the direction of the blind 1 when a force illustrated bythe arrow 6 in FIG. 3 is applied to said blind.

The guide tracks 3 are fitted to rods 7 extending perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis of said guide tracks, said rods 7 being mounted with acertain amount of play in holes 8 in the surface of support 4; in thisembodiment, the latter takes the form of a metal casing.

The helical springs 5 are slid over the rods 7 inside the casing andpress against the inside surface of said casing, i.e. the side oppositethe surface on which the guide track 3 is mounted.

The rods 7 have a threaded free end 9 and are each mounted coaxially ina sleeve 10 passing with a certain amount of play through holes 8 in thesupport casing 4, said sleeve being immobilized with respect to theguide track by a nut 11 screwed onto the threaded free end 9 of the rods7. Accordingly, the springs 5, which are slid over the sleeve 10, areheld with a certain amount of compression between the nut 11 and theinside face of the wall of the casing of the support on PG,6 which theguide track 3 is mounted. In this manner, the springs exert a certaintraction on the guide track 3, in a direction perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis of said guide track.

In order to ensure sealing between the support casing 4 and the guidetrack 3, independently of the distance between them, a flexible sealingstrip 12, for example in rubber or plastic, is fitted between the guidetrack 3 and the support casing 4.

One of the longitudinal, lateral edges 13 of the sealing strip 12 hasholes through which the rods 7 run. Said rods 7 are attached at regularintervals from each other to the back 14 of the guide tracks 3, asclearly shown in FIG. 1. This edge 13 is held against the back 14 of theguide track 3 through the free end of the sleeves 10 acting towards thisback and pressing against it around the holes.

Further, in order to enable the sealing strip to follow the variationsin the spacing between the guide track 3 and the support casing 4 onwhich it is mounted, the sealing strip 12 forms a loop 15 between theguide track 3 and the support casing 4. Accordingly, the rods 7 passfreely through a hole in the branch 16 of a the loop 15 on the sidetowards the support casing 4, so that said loop can move freely over thesleeve 10 slid over the rod 7. The other branch 17 ends in the free edge13 and is held against the back 14 of the guide track by the free end ofthe sleeve 10, as described above.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to3, the projecting lateral ends 2 of the blind 1 are formed by asuccession of small, identical, juxtaposed blocks 2', preferably made ofa hard plastic material, located in line with each other and linked toeach other in a well-known flexible manner, for example like the teethof zipper. The blocks can in fact be as close together as possible,provided the lateral edges 2 remain sufficiently flexible to enable theblind to be wound around an axis.

Also in this particular embodiment of the invention, the guide tracks 3each have two longitudinal rims 18 and 19 situated on either side of theblind 1 and pointing towards each other in a direction essentiallyperpendicular to the blind. Accordingly, the guide tracks 3 surround theprojecting edge 2 of the blind 1.

These two longitudinal rims 18 and 19 holding the projecting edge 2 ofthe blind 1 in the guide tracks form part of two separate sections 20and 21 in a material which is elastic to a certain extent, each having across section essentially in the form of a Z. One of the two flanges ofsaid sections 20 and 21 forms the above-mentioned longitudinal rim, 18and 19 respectively, while the other flange 22 or 23 respectively formsthe base of said sections, which in turn is held in a rigid metalU-section 24, whose flanges also have rims 25 and 26 pointing towardseach other. The two Z-sections 20 and 21 are held in the U-section 24 bya spacer bar 27 packed into said U-section between the bases of the twosections 20 and 21, and by another spacer bar 31 located on either sideof said sections and the neighbouring flange of the U-section. SaidU-section is held in a support section 28, also U-shaped, whose flangeshave rims pointing towards one another. The L-section bars 29,preferably also made of a relatively elastic material, for example ofthe same kind as for the Z-sections 20 and 21, are engaged in the jointsbetween the edges 30 of the support section 28 and the Z-sections, sothat said L-section bars 29 push laterally against said Z-sections, thuscontrolling their lateral flexibility. The fact that the Z-sections 20and 21 which hold the projecting edges 2 of the blind 1 have a certainelasticity enables these edges to come out of the guide track 3 when acertain force is applied to the surface of the blind 1.

Contacts 32 can for example be fitted between the guide track 3 and thesupport 4 in order to detect when the projecting edge 2 of the curtain 1comes out of the guide track and/or the force 6 exerted by the blind 1exceeds a certain limit. Said contacts 32 are preferably connected to analarm circuit, for example in order to deactivate and stop the windingor unwinding movement, or simply to activate a warning device. Thesecontacts can also be fitted inside the casing, to cooperate with therods 7.

In another embodiment of the invention, means can advantageously beprovided to intercept the force 6 acting on the blind at the moment itreaches a certain limit, without the projecting edge 2 coming out of theguide tracks 3. Accordingly, the projecting edge 2 can for example befixed to the blind by means having low strength, extending between theblind and its projecting edges 2. These means can for example be formedby a strap and pins with strength calculated so that the pins breakwhenever the force 6 reaches a predetermined limit. There can also be azone 33 of low strength between the projecting edge 2 and the surface ofthe blind which yields whenever the force acting on the surface of theblind reaches a certain level, which must be less than the forcenecessary to make the projecting edge 2 come out of its guide track.

The embodiment of the device according to the invention shown in FIG. 4differs from that shown in FIG. 2 mainly in that the elastic means areformed by foam elements 5 with significant elasticity, such aspolyurethane or latex foam. Said elements 5 extend over the whole lengthof the guide track 3, thus ensuring sealing between said guide track 3and the support 4 on which it is mounted, without an additional sealingstrip being necessary as in the previous embodiment. Said foam elements5 are made up of short bars with rectangular section, fitted inside aU-section 34 welded to the outside surface of the support casing 4. Theside flanges of said section 34 have rims 35 pointing towards eachother, against which one of the faces 38 of the foam elements 5 rests.

Further, the Z-sections 20 and 21 are fixed along their whole length ina detachable way between two identical plates 37, one of whoselongitudinal edges has the shape of a hook (25), thus holding thesections 20 and 21 in place, with the opposite longitudinal edge havingsupport flanges 36 acting against the face 39 of the foam elements 5opposite the face resting against the rims 35 of the section 34.

A spacer flat 27 extends between the two plates 35 and the bases of thesections 20 and 21, thus determining the distance between them. Further,the hook-shaped edges 25 rest in an elastically adjustable manneragainst the sections 20 and 21, so controlling the force acting throughsaid sections on the edges 2 of the blind 1, in particular the forcenecessary to make the edges 2 come out of the guide track 3.

To this end, the free ends 40 of the hooks 25 are slightly inclined andpush elastically against the sections 20 and 21, and a bolt passingthrough the plates 37 and the spacer flat 31 enables the pressureexerted on the free edges 40 of said sections 20 and 21 to be adjustedby means of a nut 42 screwed onto said bolt 41.

The embodiment of the device according to the invention shown in FIG. 5differs from that in FIG. 4 mainly in that the elastic means are made upof two strips 5 of elastic material, such as rubber or a plasticelastomer, said strips being subjected to a tension force, while in theembodiment shown in FIG. 4 the foam bars 5 are subjected to acompression force. One of the lateral edges of these strips 5 has abeading 43 held in a groove 44 in the plates 37 which rest against thespacer flat 31. The other lateral edge of these strips is folded againstthe outside surface of the support casing 4 and held against it byregularly spaced bolts 45. These strips 5 extending over the wholelength of the guide track 3 thus also form a seal between the latter andthe support casing 4.

It can also be important for there to be a stopping means to limit thedisplacement of the guide tracks 3 in the direction of the blind 1 whena force 6 is applied to said blind.

In the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the stop is automaticallyobtained when all the turns of the spring are pressed against eachother. If the elastic means take the form of foam elements, the stop isobtained when these elements are fully compressed. If elastic stripssubjected to a tension force are used, it could be important toincorporate a core within them, so as to limit their extension in thedirection of the tension.

One of the advantages of the embodiments according to FIGS. 4 and 5 isthat all the accessories of the guide track 3 are situated outside thesupport 4, so that where necessary the support can take the form of asolid wall, such as concrete pillar.

Due to the fact that the guide tracks 3 are mounted on their support 4through elastic means, practically no adjustment is necessary on theworksite; the guide tracks and their corresponding supports can beassembled entirely in the factory.

Furthermore, thanks to these elastic means, the blind is constantlyunder controlled, horizontal tension, and the expansion or contractiondue to changes in temperature is automatically compensated by theelastic means. The same applies to variations in distance between theguide tracks at different points, for example if they are not perfectlyparallel.

Due to the fact that the guide tracks can pivot about an axis parallelto their longitudinal axis, the tension exerted by the blind 1 throughthe edges 2 is always divided evenly between the two sections 20 and 21,in particular the two rims 18 and 19 of said sections 20 and 21, andalways in a direction essentially parallel to the web 34 of saidsections 20 and 21.

Accordingly, it is perfectly possible to determine, in a rigorous enoughway, the physical characteristics which the sections 20 and 21 must havein order for the edge 2 to come out of the guide tracks 3 above acertain force applied to the blind 1. Moreover, thanks to the fact thatthe frictional force of the edge 2 is divided symmetrically between thetwo sections 18 and 19, the wear on the edge and on the sections isuniform and reduced to a strict minimum, thus significantly increasingthe life of these elements.

It should be understood that the invention is in no way limited to theparticular embodiment described above and shown in the figures, and thatdifferent variations are possible within the scope of the invention; forexample, for certain applications or types of device, the guide track 3could be mounted on the support 4 through a hinge or successive seriesof hinges whose axis of rotation is parallel to the axis of said guidetrack.

Furthermore, in other cases these guide tracks can be mounted on theirsupports so that they only undergo a translation in the direction of theplane of the blind in the closed position, without the elastic meanspermitting the guide track to pivot.

However, it goes without saying that there is a marked preference for asystem in which the guide track can undergo pivoting and elastictranslation simultaneously.

In yet other cases, the edge 2 of the blind 1 can be fitted with guidingmeans which are spaced out, such as runners or sliding blocks spread outat a certain distance from each other along the edge of the blind, i.e.the projecting edge is not essentially continuous.

Finally, in a particular embodiment of the invention, the blind 1comprises a tarpaulin and has an essentially elastic zone 50 formed bye.g. a strip of elastic material, as shown schematically in FIG. 1,extending over the whole length of the blind 1, in the direction of itslateral edges. This zone 50 can in principle be located at any part ofthe blind, but for reasons of symmetry it will preferably be locatede.g. near each of the lateral edges 2 or possibly in the middle.However, there could be a single elastic zone near one of the twolateral edges 2. In a variant, the whole blind could be made of anessentially elastic material. The guide tracks 3 could be pivot-mountedor fixed on the support 4. These last embodiments could even be combinedwith those in which the guide tracks 3 are mounted elastically on thesupport 4.

In the present invention, the blind preferably comprises a continuous,fully flexible tarpaulin, in contrast to blinds having horizontalbars--which may or may not be slightly flexible--at regular distances inorder to guide the blind laterally.

I claim:
 1. A closing device comprising a blind (1) having flexiblelateral edges (2) each held in one of a pair of elongated guide tracks(3), each of said tracks having opposing sides and being mounted on arespective one of a pair of supports (4) in an elastic manner andpivotable about an axis essentially parallel to their longitudinal axisin such a way that tension exerted by said blind on the guide tracks isalways divided substantially equally on both sides of said guide trackswith respect to the blind; and said guide tracks being capable ofundergoing simultaneous translation and pivoting when operational.
 2. Adevice according to claim 1, wherein the guide tracks (3) on the support(4) can undergo a displacement in the direction of the blind (1) when aforce (6) is exerted on the latter.
 3. A device according to claim 2,wherein the elastic means (5) are arranged so as to exert a constanttraction on the lateral edges (2) of the blind (1).
 4. A deviceaccording to claim 2, wherein the guide tracks (3) are arranged on rods(7) extending essentially perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of saidguide tracks (3) and mounted with a certain amount of play in holesprovided in a wall of the support (4), said elastic means comprising ahelical spring (5) slid over said rod (7) on the side of said wall (4)opposite the guide track (3), resting against said wall (4).
 5. A deviceaccording to claim 4, wherein said rod (7) has a threaded free end (9)and is mounted coaxially in a sleeve (10) which extends with a certainamount of play through the hole (8) in a wall of the support (4), and isimmobilized with respect to the guide track (3) by a nut (11) screwedonto the threaded free end (9) of the rod (7) , said spring (5) beingheld between said nut (11) and the surface of the wall of the support(4) facing the latter.
 6. A device according to claim 2, wherein aflexible strip (12), is fitted between the guide track (3) and thesupport (4) on which said guide track is mounted.
 7. A device accordingto claim 6, wherein a least one longitudinal edge (13) of the sealingstrip (12) has holes through which said rods (7) run, said rods beingfixed at certain distances from each other on back (14) of the guidetracks (3), said edge (13) being held close to said back (14) throughthe free end of sleeves (10) pointing towards said back (14) andpressing around said holes against said longitudinal edge (13) of thesealing strip (12).
 8. A device according to claim 6, wherein thesealing strip (12) is folded to form a loop (15) between the guide track(3) and the support (4) on which said guide track (3) is mounted, androds (7) carrying said guide track (13) passing through an end branch(16) of a loop (15) nearest the support (4), and a free edge (13) of theother branch (17) being fixed against the back of the guide track (3).9. A device according to claim 1, wherein said closing device functionsas a covering device.
 10. A device according to claim 1, wherein saidclosing device functions as a separating device.
 11. A device accordingto claim 1, wherein said closing device is a door.
 12. A deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein said blind of said closing device isadapted to be mounted about a winding axis so that said blind can bewound thereabout for opening and closing said device.
 13. A closingdevice comprising a blind (1) having flexible lateral edges (2) held inguide tracks (3), wherein said blind (1) has a narrow zone (33) of lowstrength, located between a lateral edge (2) and the surface of theblind itself (1), extending over the whole length of said edge (2), saidzone (33) yielding as soon as the force acting on the surface of theblind (1) reaches a predetermined value, which is less than forcesnecessary to free the edge (2) from the guide tracks (3).
 14. A deviceaccording to claim 13, wherein the blind comprises a tarpaulin whereinsaid narrow zone of low strength comprises an uninterrupted, essentiallyelastic zone (50) extending close to each of the lateral edges of theblind (1).
 15. A device according to claim 14, wherein said essentiallyelastic zone extends close to each of the lateral edges of the blind(1).